Fleetwood Town are set to face Accrington Stanley at Highbury Stadium on Monday night, with both sides determined to snap their two-game losing streaks in League Two.
The hosts are 16th in the table with 22 points after 17 fixtures, while the visitors are 21st in the standings with just 18 points from their opening 18 games.
Match preview
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Last season, Fleetwood Town faced the disappointment of relegation to League Two for the first time since 2013-14, finishing 22nd in League One with just 43 points from 46 matches, leaving them three points adrift of safety.
Their underwhelming run has continued in the opening stages of this campaign, sitting 16th in the League Two table with 22 points from 17 outings, after five wins, seven draws and five losses.
Those results leave them equally eight points above the drop zone and behind the playoff places, though they have played at least one fewer game than all but one team in the league, with MK Dons also playing just 17 times.
Charlie Adam, in charge since New Year's Eve 2023, actually guided the Fishermen to just one defeat in their opening nine league matches, alongside four wins and four draws.
However, their form has significantly dipped since, managing only one win in the following eight league fixtures, with four losses and three draws, including back-to-back defeats heading into this one.
Fleetwood's recent losses have also ended their strong defensive start to the campaign, as the Cod Army, who conceded only 15 goals in their first 15 games, a significant improvement from the 72 allowed last season, have now shipped seven in their last two matches.
Desperate to get back to winning ways and close the current eight-point gap on the top six, Fleetwood will play host to an Accrington Stanley side that is battling against relegation.
The 'Owd Reds were demoted from League One in 2022-23, ending a five-year stay in the third tier, and after finishing 17th last season, they now find themselves edging closer to a second relegation in three years.
John Doolan's men are 21st in the League Two standings heading into this one, having amassed just 18 points from their first 18 matches with four wins, six draws and eight losses, leaving them four points ahead of the drop zone, though they have played a game fewer than some of those around them.
After starting the term without a win in their opening 10 fixtures across all competitions, Accrington finally defeated Morecambe 2-1 on matchday nine, starting an improved run of just one defeat in eight league outings, alongside four wins and three draws.
However, that run came to a crushing end with a 5-2 defeat to Grimsby Town, followed by a 2-1 loss to Bromley, leaving them without a win in their last four league matches.
Doolan will be hoping to end that run with a win here, especially with those below them all picking up points in recent weeks, but Accrington's record suggests they may struggle, with no team in the league taking fewer than their seven points on the road.
Team News
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Liam Shaw is a doubt for the hosts after being forced off in the 28th minute of their 3-1 defeat to Swindon Town last time out, meaning Finley Potter, James Bolton and Rhys Bennett are likely to make up the back three.
Carl Johnston is also unlikely to feature for Fleetwood after coming off in the game against Doncaster Rovers, subsequently missing the Swindon defeat, meaning Ryan Broom may start in his place.
Ronan Coughlan is Fleetwood's top scorer in the league with six goals in 15 appearances, and the Fishermen will be relying on the striker to make the difference again here.
As for Accrington, Doolan expressed his frustration with his side for their poor performance in the 2-1 defeat to Bromley last time out, meaning the manager could make several changes here.
Wing-back pairing Donald Love and Benjamin Woods are two players that did impress in that match, meaning they could keep their place in the side, while top scorer Dara Costelloe is also likely to continue in attack.
Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
Harrington; Broom, Potter, Bolton, Bennett, Hunt; Helm, Virtue-Thick, Mayor; Coughlan, Graydon
Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Crellin; Aljofree, Frawson, Awe; Love, Conneely, Khumbeni, B Woods; Whalley; J Woods, Castelloe
We say: Fleetwood Town 2-1 Accrington Stanley
While both sides are struggling in recent weeks, Accrington Stanley are the worst performing team in League Two on the road this season, leading us to believe the hosts will win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
